KaiserElectric

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Minah Saden

Keldabe City // Mandalore // Mandalore Sector

@Theyra

"An astute observation," Minah said coolly. "Though of course I consider myself a modest servant of the Empire." The potent air of haughtiness that hangs on those words suggest otherwise as she quietly looked over this general from over the rim of her glass. He seemed warily cautious, as he should be. Definitely not one of Grievous' zealots to find himself here.

"A servant who admittedly gets tired of the state functions after a while," she admitted after a generous sip of her drink. "And as a diplomat, cultivating personal relationships, even with our...opponents, is always part of my duties." For a moment, her gaze flits down to the lightsaber revealed on her hip, and she smiles a little wider, not bothering to hide the clear symbol of her allegiance.

"Minah Saden," the diplomat announced with a nod and a gesture of her glass. "And you?"

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Minah Saden

Keldabe City // Mandalore // Mandalore Sector

"Yes, it is quite a view, isn't it?"

Minah Saden almost seemed to emerge from the shadows onto the balcony overlooking the city, a half-full glass of an unknown liquor swirling around in her offhand. Not one to let a chance to flaunt a little go to waste, she'd dressed to the nines for this little excursion of hers, wearing jewelry on her ear as well as her Imperial formal dress, silver and white to contrast the red and black cloak and armor plating shared with her usual Guardian armor. Compared to Kzaye keeping a low profile, Minah was all but shouting what colors she wore today.

While Kzaye was considering her, she paused to look over one of the bodyguards with a puzzling expression, before brushing a bit of dust off the guard's coat where armor was hidden and moving next to the general. "And to think these cities were built from necessity, when their wars made their home planet uninhabitable. Perhaps we do not give the Mandalorians enough credit outside of their skills with the gun..." Her eyes flitted over to the far end of the Cantina, where an inconspicuous twi'lek met her gaze and returned to the datapad she was reading. "So what brings you to this splendid view, then?" she continued, sipping from the glass, "You and your entourage are curiously subtle to be out in such revelry."

Leaning against the balcony, her cloak billows out in such a way that a sharp eye could catch the handle of a lightsaber hanging on the back of her belt.
@Theyra

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Minah Saden

---

Diertinont System...
Flonheim Royal Palace...
14 days prior...

The amber halls of the palace echoed with the raucous shouts and cheers of soldiers as they tore down the blue banners adorning the walls, making way for the gold and white that should have always hung here. Duke Emicho smiled, stroking the length of his thin mustache as he pondered how best to execute his brother when there was a commotion and the doors slammed open, two of his men pulling a shrieking young man in elegant blue finery by his wrists. A nephew, perhaps, one that could be sold to the markets instead of executed. Practicality eclipsed pity in his heart; he couldn't risk anyone else rising to challenge his claim. He glanced at the two men following his nephew and his captors; not his own soldiers, but men from the Empire, stoic and subdued, calmly marching behind them, ready for a fight. No, he couldn't risk it. Not with his new benefactors watching.

Moving through the grand hall as the soldiers looted and plundered for valuables, leading away prisoners in chains and taking for themselves anything seeming of value, Emicho decided to remove himself from the din and take the well-worn path to the council chambers, where the Empire's men stood watch, alongside the scarred transdoshan who came with them. Wretched thing. It ought to have been in a collar. As if it could read his thoughts, the reptile glared at him for a moment before resuming its post, allowing Emicho to slip by the guards and into the chamber, the heavy wooden door muting the chaos outside.

The throne and the table still stood where he remembered, now empty of his brother and the sycophants he surrounded himself with. He took a moment to rest a gloved hand on the arm of the grand throne, and a small smile curved his lips. All was finally right with the world. He'd reclaimed his destiny. Diertinont was his to rule again, and none would dare take his family's crown again.

"Such a curiosity."

Emicho turned sharply to the balcony on the far end of the room, where a tall, slender figure stood silhouetted against the evening sky. Her red and black cloak almost rendering her camouflaged, the duke almost flinched before he recognized it as his benefactor and smiled.

"The view is quite stunning when the sun comes up," Emicho said, casually strolling up behind her.

"Yet from where we are," the Imperial uttered, still staring out past the watch tower and the buildings, out towards the horizon. "You can't see the setting..."

Emicho rolled his eyes at another curious observation from this...Guardian, was it? Something like that, yes. He'd of course been certain that he could have overthrown his brother given enough time, but her arrival after being scorned by the previous ruler of Diertinont was both fortuitous and welcome all the same. Oh sure his allies all hemmed and hawed about the arrangement and how they'd be putting themselves under this "Emperor's" boot, but they didn't understand the game like he did. He'd paid lip service to a weak ruler before while doing as he pleased, he could do it to the trussed-up admiral who fancied himself a king. And if they were all like this preening sycophant, it would be all too easy.

"I'm surprised to still see you here," Emicho replied coolly after a moment to consider.

"And why would that be?" Minah Saden asked, finally turning to acknowledge him with a warm smile. "My job isn't quite finished here, after all."

"If you're talking about our, ah, arrangement, I can assure you-"

"Oh that's nothing to worry about," she said, stepping closer. "Your world is going to be a proper part of the Empire now, and I'm just making sure it all goes as smoothly as possible." She patted him on the arm. "After all those foul things your brother said about us, we wouldn't want the people to be up in arms about our presence."

"Anything to make the rabble happy, I suppose," the Duke sniffed, rubbing the spot on his arm as he looked out onto the courtyard, not filled with said rabble but battle scarred and occupied by his men, with a scattering of patrols of the more disciplined Troopers, stoic as ever but occasionally glancing up at the balcony where their master stood. He chuckled lightly to himself, before he heard a distinctive scream of the TIE fighters swooping overhead.

"Shame we didn’t have any of those," Emicho chuckled, watching them fly off into the distance. “A run or two would have sent my beloved brother-”

*THOOM*

Emicho gasped and threw up his arms as a blast of sound and air knocked him backwards, Minah remaining still as her cloak billowed out behind her. Blinking, the duke ran back to the balcony to see the mighty watchtower burning, billowing black smoke pouring into the air.

“What the blazes?” Emicho ran to the balcony where his soldiers stood dumbstruck. “Get over there and put that out, you idiots!” Before they could so much as pick up their rifles and run, there was a heaving sound of crumbling rock, and the tower began to fold under its own weight, crashing along the wall and sending up a great cloud of soot and dust. Shielding his eyes as the sound of the crash faded, he felt his heart skip a beat as he heard shouting in the distance.

“The devil is that?” he demanded as the noise grew louder.

“Sounds like the rabble.” Minah clucked her tongue as she scratched under her chin idly. “Dear me, and they don’t sound happy.”

The duke watched with mounting horror as over the walls poured dozens….no, hundreds of people, all moving in a great mass towards the palace, no symbol or flag uniting them, save for the unkempt rags of the slave and the peasant. The soldiers who rushed to save the tower were felled quickly, stabbed or sliced in a furious melee, picked off by the few blasters and rifles the mob had, or simply swallowed up by the teeming mass as it rushed towards the gates. His men that didn’t fall turned tail and ran for their lives, and the Imperials…wait…where were the Imperials? Where did they go?

“Bring around the fighters,” Emicho demanded, his voice shaking. “We can strafe them, the mob will break easily. Just…”

“We?” Minah tilted her head. “What makes you so sure there is a ‘we’ involved here?”

The duke’s blood ran cold as he looked back at the Guardian, the gears starting to turn in his head. When she turned to meet his gaze, Minah couldn’t help but grin. “Forgive me, but I just had to see the look on your face when you put it all together. It’s simply…” she waved a hand around to search for the word. “...gratifying.”

A thousand different emotions ran through Emicho’s head.”But…you said…”

“If it’s any consolation,” Minah continued, strolling from the balcony and patting him on the shoulder. “You were very helpful in getting rid of the other claimants to the throne, for however long it still exists.”

The duke’s temper began to rise as he stomped in after her. “But we had a deal! Why would you-?”

“Simple arithmetic, your highness. The more the Empire can offer, the more we get in return.” Her brow furrowed and her gaze darkened where he could not see. “And we can offer much more to those who you put in chains. More than an old crown and a tacky chair.”

The indignity. The betrayal. The impunity. Emicho felt his anger curdle. “You….you mangy whore! This is my kingdom! This is MY crown!” His hand shot towards the dagger at his hip. “If you think you’ll take it from me-”

Minah turned around, and the burning anger behind her eyes made him flinch. She stepped towards him, and he stepped back, his hands trembling. Baring a teeth back in a snarl, he felt for the dagger.

“Please. Do try it. Give me the excuse.”

His breath shortened as Minah took another step, towering over him, hands still folded behind her back, her gaze cutting deeper than any blade. Her words came in a harsh whisper.

“I have broken better men than you.”

What little resolve he had broke. Emicho’s hand went limp, and he slunk backwards, out towards the balcony. Minah’s expression changed on a dime back to her smirk. “A very smart move. That’s what made you such a pleasure to work with, after all!”

Broken and defeated, Emicho looked back at her with unbridled hatred. “So what are you here for then? To kill me?”

“Kill you? Goodness no, not with the Empire weeks away from a diplomatic summit with Mandalore and Corellia!” Minah laughed at the very suggestion as she turned to head towards the door. “I’m merely here to welcome Diertinont into the Imperial fold. Naturally I intended to have you in charge, but with how deeply unpopular you’ve been among your enslaved population, it seems you simply couldn’t keep a handle on power.” She turned to smile back at him one last time. “Fortunately my backup plan to arrange for your abdication and negotiate with the newly freed people of Diertinont is going well.”

Emicho did not look up from the floor as Minah smiled and prepared to leave. “So…that’s it?” he asked, his voice hoarse and tired. “You want my abdication?”

“Well, that point is moot sadly.” Minah turned away, a small gleam in her eye.

“Because I have no choice,” Emicho mumbled.

“No. Because the rebels got to you before I could.”

Minah made a small motion with her hand, like the brushing of a fly off her lapel, and the duke was violently forced backwards, the air knocked out of his lungs as he tumbled over the balcony and landed hard on the dirt below. Coughing violently, feeling the blood pooling in his mouth, he heard the mob flooding the courtyard go silent.

“It’s him!”

“It’s the Duke!”

“GET HIM!”


“TEAR HIM APART!”

Far above, Minah took a deep breath as she listened to the screaming fade away into the sound of the mob, before pushing the doors open.

“Poor man couldn’t take losing his throne,” Minah said curtly to her men standing guard. “He was just falling all over himself.”

“What a shame," the scarred trandoshan smirked. We’re done here, then?”

“Indeed, Vakar. Another victory for the Empire." Minah made a gesture and her escort formed up, the trandoshan Vakar walking casually alongside her. "The rebels should be cooperative, keep the peace until the administrators arrive,” sheordered the Imperial soldiers as she strode past them, regular troopers nodding and taking positions while the ones in full helmets joined her entourage alongside Vakar. “Bring my shuttle and prepare the Justicar for departure. We’re due to join the fleet headed for Mandalore.”

"So we're in the honor guard after all," Vakar commented, hoisting his E-11 onto his shoulder. "Great."

"I wouldn't fret," Minah replied, hearing the chanting of the free people through the walls as her group made their way to the shuttle bay. "I'm sure our mission there will be FAR more interesting..."

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Minah Saden

Minah Saden / Guardian of the Empire

| {Full Name} |

Minah Saden

| {Age} |

28

| {Species} |

Zygerrian

| {Gender} |

Female

---

| {Force Sensitive/Alignment} |

Yes - Gray to Dark, as needed

| {Appearance} |

Minah is tall for her species, her ears just barely crossing the six foot mark, with a thin wiry build. She sports a subtle pair of horns on her forehead, with peach colored fur and shorter, darker red hair. Her usual adornments consist of a well-maintained imperial uniform with Jedi armor’s chestplate, greaves, and shoulder guards hidden underneath a dark crimson hooded cloak with matching mask covering her nose and mouth. In more casual situations she tends to forgo the cloak and mask, and supposedly has a selection of more exotic dresses yet to be seen.

| {Equipment and Personal Belongings} |

-Dual Hooksabers: Perhaps one of the more unusual designs for lightsabers, the hooksaber was created in response to the CIS’ increasing use of saber-resistant materials, utilizing a curved hook shape at the tip that could grab onto anything that a lightsaber could not pierce or cut on its own. Saden possesses a set of these unusual lightsabers in a deep red color, altering hers with a saber-resistant handguard and smaller straight blade coming from the other end.

-Saden’s Light Armor: A mixture of imperial officer uniform and Shadow Council Guardian armor with a bit of her own flair, Saden’s armor trades protection and defense for ease of movement and speed, while also helping her appear less militant to others, to reassure or mislead as needed. Her mask also features a rebreather that can sustain her in suffocating conditions.

-Justicar: A modified Arquitens Class Light cruiser serving as a diplomatic vessel and flagship, possessing comfortable quarters and a seasoned, hand-picked crew, as well as potent armaments, two shuttles, and a wing of fighters should the need arise.

| {Physical Abilities} |

The Negotiations Will Be Short: Minah enjoys a reputation as one of the best diplomatic officers in the Empire, won with her natural charm, seasoned cunning, and most of all ruthless manipulation. She will gladly make friends, and indeed is very good at doing just that, bringing warlords and planets happily into the Imperial fold with a few well-said arguments, but if something is an obstacle to her goals, she will not hesitate at finding a way to remove it. After all, why negotiate with an unfriendly warlord when they have plenty of underlings who are more amenable. What better concessions could you give to a stubborn planet seeking vassalization then removing the orbital cannon pointed at the palace? Minah ultimately has known little but success, and has proven quite adept at getting everything she wants out of a negotiation, even if her target doesn’t realize it.

Web Weaver: Minah understands the Great Game all too well, and she plays to win. An expert at navigating social circles and complicated webs of intrigue within the Empire and without, Minah plays the spider when it comes to politics, charming her enemies and making friends and connections, waiting for what she wants to slip up and fall into a carefully laid trap, never knowing that Minah was after them until it's far too late.

Agile Fighter: It would truly be foolish to assume that because she is a diplomat that Minah cannot hold her own in a fight. A talented duelist with her unusual dual hooksabers, Minah is a light and dextrous combatant, relying on speed and agility rather then outright strength and endurance to wear down an enemy, aiming at weak spots to exploit them as she whittles down enemies. Indeed, her hooksabers can give her an edge in fights against other sabers and saber resistant materials, allowing her to grapple and disarm enemies with the curve of her blades.

Seasoned Commander: Sometimes words and manipulation is not enough, and when diplomacy gives way to swift action, Minah is capable of holding her own when a military solution is required. While not a tactician on the level of Eltro or Alcyorr, her natural cunning serves her well on the battlefield and she has a handful of victories under her belt where a well-placed ambush or surgical strike won the day.

| {Force Abilities} |

-Telekinesis
-Comprehend Speech
-Force Barrier
-Force Deflection
-Force Speed
-Force Sense
-Force Empathy
-Mind Trick
-Force Illusion
-Force Jump
-Force Blind
-Force Choke
-Can Perceive Shatterpoints (Nothing beyond objects and occasionally people, and she still has difficulty exploiting them via the force)

| {Limitations} |

Breaker of Chains: Minah takes to heart the Shadow Council’s doctrine of fighting darkness by any means necessary, and her ruthlessness when fighting that darkness is well known. She shares a particular ire for slavers however, and has been known to be especially cruel to those who practice the vile trade, oftentimes beyond the point of reason, and other forces she sees as wicked or corrupt do not fare much better. It is all in quite stark black and white to her, and oftentimes she fails or even refuses to see the shades of gray in between, for better or worse.

Lead From The Rear: In those rare instances where Minah is drawn into combat, she is best suited to commanding from the bridge of her ship or behind a holo-map of the battlefield. She is no frontline leader and is severely out of her element in the thick of combat, even though physically she is an excellent fighter.

---

| {Personality} |

Minah is an enigma. Affable and effortlessly charming, with an air of elegance from her noble background, her clever smile hides an intense, oftentimes extreme sense of morality. In her eyes, good is to be cherished, and wickedness is to be destroyed, and there is no in between or compromise to be had with either. Minah is as capable of compassion and kindness as she is capable of intense ruthlessness and even cruelty towards those she deems deserving of it, and if it was the latter you were deserving of, you would simply never know until it was too late, and that clever smile would be the last thing you’d ever see.

| {Place of Origin} |

Minah was born on Zygerria to a minor noble family, showing force sensitivity from an early age but thankfully spared from Knightfall because of her people’s allegiance to the CIS.

| {Background} |

Zygerria was quick to flock to the banner of the CIS and reinstate its old slave empire, but the transition was not without its detractors, and a young Minah found herself caught in the middle of it. Despite the Saden family growing powerful off the resurgent slave trade, her family were also supporters of abolition during the years after the trade was outlawed by the Republic, and to survive her father stooped to moderation, trying to improve the lives and working conditions of slaves through his influence. Despite being taught all her life that slavery was simply the natural order of things, the weak submitting to the strong, she found herself distressed even at a young age by her father’s compromising, and was more entranced by the hardline abolitionist her father distanced himself from; Scarza Olek, a charismatic cleric rumored to have been behind violent attacks on slavers and slavery supporters in Zygerria. It was his lessons that she took to heart, that there can be no compromise with wickedness, and that the only answer to evil and cruelty is its utter destruction. Even as the last hope for abolition seemingly died with the Republic at Knightfall, Olek’s resolve did not waver, and Minah watched with wide eyes as he continued his fiery speeches, calling for all those who would enslave others to burn, in this life or the next.

Then as the mighty CIS began to come apart at the seams, a shockwave ripped through Zygerria as a band of abolitionist fighters led by Olek stormed the Munificent-class starship Pursuer, intending to launch a slave revolt and use the ship to strike back against the slaver forces. The attack was ultimately a failure, too much of a long shot to have a hope of succeeding, and as Olek was martyred for his anti-slavery beliefs, Grievous stepped in to authorize Operation Kolibri, putting the might of the CIS behind Queen Miraj Scintel plan to purge the planet of future malefactors, starting with those attending the protest at Olek’s execution.

Minah attended that protest, escaping from her detestable family to do so, and it was there that the powder keg that was Zygerria began to smolder as the droids set to fire into the crowd were suddenly opposed by the royal guards, and at the height of the tension, Minah saw a figure step from the shadows and cut down Queen Scintel with a glowing blade. The powder keg exploded and chaos reigned as guards and protestors and droids were drawn into the maelstrom of another CIS planet struck by rebellion, but Minah felt instead drawn to the strange figure and crept through the crowd, trailing them back to their ship. The strange figure, a Jedi of the Empire’s nascent Shadow Council, silently took her on board to escape the planet, her motives as unknown as her face and name as she brought this promising young student to the council.

Now a padawan, Minah Saden became a steadfast student, taking the Shadow Council’s credence to heart and showing an innate talent with the more esoteric aspects of the force, with the drive to match her cunning and craftiness. The masters were impressed, and felt that she would be a natural candidate for a diplomatic officer in the Empire, assigning her to a master consular best suited to hone her natural ability. It was with her new master that she showed her worth as a member of the Shadow Council when she helped to uncover and purge an underground black market within the Empire. Her deft navigation of Imperial intrigue and politics as well as her ruthless pursuit of the criminal enterprise, especially the infamous slaughter of the slave traders, was one of many services to the Empire that allowed her ascend to the rank of Guardian, where aboard her personal flagship Justicar she continues the delicate work of protecting and expanding Imperial authority throughout the galaxy as she delves into a greater understanding of the Force and some of the powers it can grant...

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Edit: Done!

Minah Saden

Minah Saden / Guardian of the Empire

| {Full Name} |

Minah Saden

| {Age} |

28

| {Species} |

Zygerrian

| {Gender} |

Female

---

| {Force Sensitive/Alignment} |

Yes - Gray to Dark, as needed

| {Appearance} |

Minah is tall for her species, her ears just barely crossing the six foot mark, with a thin wiry build. She sports a subtle pair of horns on her forehead, with peach colored fur and shorter, darker red hair. Her usual adornments consist of a well-maintained imperial uniform with Jedi armor’s chestplate, greaves, and shoulder guards hidden underneath a dark crimson hooded cloak with matching mask covering her nose and mouth. In more casual situations she tends to forgo the cloak and mask, and supposedly has a selection of more exotic dresses yet to be seen.

| {Equipment and Personal Belongings} |

-Dual Hooksabers: Perhaps one of the more unusual designs for lightsabers, the hooksaber was created in response to the CIS’ increasing use of saber-resistant materials, utilizing a curved hook shape at the tip that could grab onto anything that a lightsaber could not pierce or cut on its own. Saden possesses a set of these unusual lightsabers in a deep red color, altering hers with a saber-resistant handguard and smaller straight blade coming from the other end.

-Saden’s Light Armor: A mixture of imperial officer uniform and Shadow Council Guardian armor with a bit of her own flair, Saden’s armor trades protection and defense for ease of movement and speed, while also helping her appear less militant to others, to reassure or mislead as needed. Her mask also features a rebreather that can sustain her in suffocating conditions.

-Justicar: A modified Arquitens Class Light cruiser serving as a diplomatic vessel and flagship, possessing comfortable quarters and a seasoned, hand-picked crew, as well as potent armaments, two shuttles, and a wing of fighters should the need arise.

| {Physical Abilities} |

The Negotiations Will Be Short: Minah enjoys a reputation as one of the best diplomatic officers in the Empire, won with her natural charm, seasoned cunning, and most of all ruthless manipulation. She will gladly make friends, and indeed is very good at doing just that, bringing warlords and planets happily into the Imperial fold with a few well-said arguments, but if something is an obstacle to her goals, she will not hesitate at finding a way to remove it. After all, why negotiate with an unfriendly warlord when they have plenty of underlings who are more amenable. What better concessions could you give to a stubborn planet seeking vassalization then removing the orbital cannon pointed at the palace? Minah ultimately has known little but success, and has proven quite adept at getting everything she wants out of a negotiation, even if her target doesn’t realize it.

Web Weaver: Minah understands the Great Game all too well, and she plays to win. An expert at navigating social circles and complicated webs of intrigue within the Empire and without, Minah plays the spider when it comes to politics, charming her enemies and making friends and connections, waiting for what she wants to slip up and fall into a carefully laid trap, never knowing that Minah was after them until it's far too late.

Agile Fighter: It would truly be foolish to assume that because she is a diplomat that Minah cannot hold her own in a fight. A talented duelist with her unusual dual hooksabers, Minah is a light and dextrous combatant, relying on speed and agility rather then outright strength and endurance to wear down an enemy, aiming at weak spots to exploit them as she whittles down enemies. Indeed, her hooksabers can give her an edge in fights against other sabers and saber resistant materials, allowing her to grapple and disarm enemies with the curve of her blades.

Seasoned Commander: Sometimes words and manipulation is not enough, and when diplomacy gives way to swift action, Minah is capable of holding her own when a military solution is required. While not a tactician on the level of Eltro or Alcyorr, her natural cunning serves her well on the battlefield and she has a handful of victories under her belt where a well-placed ambush or surgical strike won the day.

| {Force Abilities} |

-Telekinesis
-Comprehend Speech
-Force Barrier
-Force Deflection
-Force Speed
-Force Sense
-Force Empathy
-Mind Trick
-Force Illusion
-Force Jump
-Force Blind
-Force Choke
-Can Perceive Shatterpoints (Nothing beyond objects and occasionally people, and she still has difficulty exploiting them via the force)

| {Limitations} |

Breaker of Chains: Minah takes to heart the Shadow Council’s doctrine of fighting darkness by any means necessary, and her ruthlessness when fighting that darkness is well known. She shares a particular ire for slavers however, and has been known to be especially cruel to those who practice the vile trade, oftentimes beyond the point of reason, and other forces she sees as wicked or corrupt do not fare much better. It is all in quite stark black and white to her, and oftentimes she fails or even refuses to see the shades of gray in between, for better or worse.

Lead From The Rear: In those rare instances where Minah is drawn into combat, she is best suited to commanding from the bridge of her ship or behind a holo-map of the battlefield. She is no frontline leader and is severely out of her element in the thick of combat, even though physically she is an excellent fighter.

---

| {Personality} |

Minah is an enigma. Affable and effortlessly charming, with an air of elegance from her noble background, her clever smile hides an intense, oftentimes extreme sense of morality. In her eyes, good is to be cherished, and wickedness is to be destroyed, and there is no in between or compromise to be had with either. Minah is as capable of compassion and kindness as she is capable of intense ruthlessness and even cruelty towards those she deems deserving of it, and if it was the latter you were deserving of, you would simply never know until it was too late, and that clever smile would be the last thing you’d ever see.

| {Place of Origin} |

Minah was born on Zygerria to a minor noble family, showing force sensitivity from an early age but thankfully spared from Knightfall because of her people’s allegiance to the CIS.

| {Background} |

Zygerria was quick to flock to the banner of the CIS and reinstate its old slave empire, but the transition was not without its detractors, and a young Minah found herself caught in the middle of it. Despite the Saden family growing powerful off the resurgent slave trade, her family were also supporters of abolition during the years after the trade was outlawed by the Republic, and to survive her father stooped to moderation, trying to improve the lives and working conditions of slaves through his influence. Despite being taught all her life that slavery was simply the natural order of things, the weak submitting to the strong, she found herself distressed even at a young age by her father’s compromising, and was more entranced by the hardline abolitionist her father distanced himself from; Scarza Olek, a charismatic cleric rumored to have been behind violent attacks on slavers and slavery supporters in Zygerria. It was his lessons that she took to heart, that there can be no compromise with wickedness, and that the only answer to evil and cruelty is its utter destruction. Even as the last hope for abolition seemingly died with the Republic at Knightfall, Olek’s resolve did not waver, and Minah watched with wide eyes as he continued his fiery speeches, calling for all those who would enslave others to burn, in this life or the next.

Then as the mighty CIS began to come apart at the seams, a shockwave ripped through Zygerria as a band of abolitionist fighters led by Olek stormed the Munificent-class starship Pursuer, intending to launch a slave revolt and use the ship to strike back against the slaver forces. The attack was ultimately a failure, too much of a long shot to have a hope of succeeding, and as Olek was martyred for his anti-slavery beliefs, Grievous stepped in to authorize Operation Kolibri, putting the might of the CIS behind Queen Miraj Scintel plan to purge the planet of future malefactors, starting with those attending the protest at Olek’s execution.

Minah attended that protest, escaping from her detestable family to do so, and it was there that the powder keg that was Zygerria began to smolder as the droids set to fire into the crowd were suddenly opposed by the royal guards, and at the height of the tension, Minah saw a figure step from the shadows and cut down Queen Scintel with a glowing blade. The powder keg exploded and chaos reigned as guards and protestors and droids were drawn into the maelstrom of another CIS planet struck by rebellion, but Minah felt instead drawn to the strange figure and crept through the crowd, trailing them back to their ship. The strange figure, a Jedi of the Empire’s nascent Shadow Council, silently took her on board to escape the planet, her motives as unknown as her face and name as she brought this promising young student to the council.

Now a padawan, Minah Saden became a steadfast student, taking the Shadow Council’s credence to heart and showing an innate talent with the more esoteric aspects of the force, with the drive to match her cunning and craftiness. The masters were impressed, and felt that she would be a natural candidate for a diplomatic officer in the Empire, assigning her to a master consular best suited to hone her natural ability. It was with her new master that she showed her worth as a member of the Shadow Council when she helped to uncover and purge an underground black market within the Empire. Her deft navigation of Imperial intrigue and politics as well as her ruthless pursuit of the criminal enterprise, especially the infamous slaughter of the slave traders, was one of many services to the Empire that allowed her ascend to the rank of Guardian, where aboard her personal flagship Justicar she continues the delicate work of protecting and expanding Imperial authority throughout the galaxy as she delves into a greater understanding of the Force and some of the powers it can grant...

Star Wars Chapter 0: KNIGHTFALL

Hi there, was perusing threads and found this gem! Might hop in if I am allowed. ^_^

Mass Effect: Second Vigil

Zenobia Vartius

Lunatic

Good Times, Good Times (Part 1)

---

Both teams were quickly learning the downsides to inviting someone like Zenobia to a party like this one. It wasn't that she tended to live up to her nickname, though that was certainly an issue to some people. No, it was more that she tended to get...creative with her song choices when the karaoke mics came out, and with enough booze in her...

"You don't have to beeeee rich

To be maaaaaaah girl!

You don't GAHT TA be cool

To rule maaaaah world!

Ain't no particular shign

'more compatible with!

I just wantshur extra time and your-"

Zenobia ended her bout of screeching karaoke with a powerful spin on her heel that she was too drunk at this point to control, toppling right off the stage and crashing onto a table. Her vision swimming, she looked up and saw a shape that looked vaguely like a green asari and made a smooching sound before giving her finger guns.

"K-iiisss..."

As she felt herself graciously slipping into unconsciousness, she felt someone prodding her, trying to wake her.

"Zen, come on...come on.......come on.........."

---

"Come on, get your ass moving. Don't have all day."

Zenobia yelped as the cold metal was shoved against the small of her back, stumbling on her bad leg. The infirmary doctor managed a brief, sympathetic glance before he turned away, leaving Zenobia alone as she hobbled towards the door, bumping against the frame with her bad arm. The drugs weren't working. She could barely breath without feeling a stabbing pain in her chest, she shivered as a trickle of blood inched down her jaw from the deep gouge soaking the patch over her eye. No one said a word of course. This thing was the Cabal's problem now.

The short trip through the barracks turned agonizingly long as the biotic turian limped down the corridors, dead silent save for her ragged gasps and the sharp footsteps of the guard escorting her. Faces peered out from doors before vanishing as she passed them by. Fellow trainees Comrades. One lingered too long, and she recognized it as a friend, one she bonded with after they did well on an exercise together. A friendship he repaid by breaking her ribs. Her weak fingers clenched for a moment before she hung her head and pressed forward, trying not to look up again.

The cold stinging breeze was a small mercy, one quickly lost as she stumbled onto the tall grass, the transport shuttle looming ahead of her. With a start, she recognized it as the same vessel she had to load up just a few scant weeks earlier on disciplinary action. It was an ammunition hauler.

And just like that, it hit her like an avalanche. Just a few days ago, she was a promising young soldier, ready to come into her own, ready to finally prove herself and do great things for her people. For once in her life, she felt proud of herself, confident, maybe even a little happy for the first time since she left for the service.

And now, she was cargo. Property. No more valuable then a mediocre stockpile of heat clips. Tears mixed into the blood trickling down her face, as she bent over in a desperate, pained sob.

And then...a sharp pain. The blow of a rifle against her cheek, sending her reeling.

"Stop crying and get moving!" the guard barked at her as she smacked against a wall, leaning against it for support, her battered arms quivering. Her sobbing abruptly stopped, her heart suddenly beating against her chest like a distant artillery barrage, the pain amplifying her sudden burst of clarity.

"I said...!" he declared, raising his gun again. "Get-"

The shuttle pilot awoke with a start as an unearthly shriek came from outside the shuttle. Hopping up to investigate, he came down the ramp and saw the prisoner he was supposed to be taking straddling the guard and punching him repeatedly in the face, wailing with each brutal hit. Stumbling in shock, he reached for his sidearm and bumped against the side of the ship. Zenobia swung around like a whip, her face splattered with blood as her biotics pushed her to her feet again. With another resounding shriek, she leveled a crude blast of biotic energy that sent the pilot head over heels, giving her time to clamber on board the shuttle and hobble into the pilot's seat, dropping into it with a pained grunt as an alarm started blaring behind her.

"Shut the fuck up!" she snapped at the shrill noise as she struggled to get the ship started up with one bad arm and most of the fingers in her hand broken. "Lucky this isn't a fighter or I'd strafe you fuckers. Least you deserve, you and this whole fucking system." Continuing to mutter, she finally just slammed her fist into the controls, flinging blood across the viewscreen as the ship finally spooled up its engines. "Hell I'll come back with a proton bomb strapped to my ass and blow you fuckers to aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAH!"

The shuttle had substantially more kick then she thought and it sped off like a lightning bolt, cleaving through a wall and clipping the comm tower alerting the mass relay to the escapee. Thrown back against her chair, she managed to pull up the control stick to avoid slamming into a nearby mountain and pitched up, up, up until the inky blackness of space overtook the dour blue sky. Flicking on the autopilot to take her to the relay, she leaned back in her chair, her heart still pounding ferociously in her chest. She caught a glance of her reflection in the window, looking like she had a disagreement with a meat grinder, the patch now soaked through and oozing onto her uniform. She tilted her head and scowled.

"Outstanding move," she murmured. "Made a bad situation worse. Dumbass."

Her reflection seemed to grin back. "You weren't going to go back home anyway. You know what happens to Cabal recruits."

Zenobia scoffed. "Yeah, and I know what happens to idiots who cold clock two people and bail with a stolen shuttle."

"Yeah, they get to live."

Turning to glare at her reflection, she spat out blood on the console. "And that's just going SO FUCKING WELL, isn't it?" Her breathing haggard and rough, Zenobia sat there for a good minute before she relaxed and slumped in the seat. "I didn't want this..."

"Don't kid yourself. You know why you spent your whole life hiding. You know what the Hierarchy does to people like you."

Snarling, Zenobia started to tear off the collar in chunks with her unbroken hand. "Didn't need to happen like this," she remarked coolly.

"But this is more fun."

Zenobia glared in shock at her reflection. Fun?! It was the most traumatic experience of her life! She'd never see her home again, forever branded an outlaw! She'd have to be some sort of lunatic to find this fun...

"Relay to shuttle, please state your destination."

The irritated voice of the mass relay station attendant shook her out of her head, and she grabbed for the controls. "Uhhh....Omega Relay?"

"Right, stand by."

Zenobia glanced down at her hands as the shuttle approached the relay, slowly dripping blood onto the console. And she couldn't help but smile, just a little bit...

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

---

Despite the request made by the announcer and her wormy companion, not all was well in the pre-game festivities. While most of the nomads were behaving themselves, it was difficult for a band of powerful individuals famous for fighting each other to not make enemies.

"You dare mock the gods so?!?" spat a girl in Greco-Roman armor. "Were this not a place of merriment I would slay you on the spot, loathesome rodent."

"Don't let the company stop you sweetheart," snarled a reedy looking anthro bat, getting up in her face. "Why don't you pull that sword out and see what happens?"

"What happens is you will lose your tongue, cretin!"

"Yeah well get ready to lose your eardrums, byzie-bitch!"

"Cur!"

"Twat!"

"...don't mind me, just trying to get to the carimañolas."

The two angry nomads were shoved back a little as a shorter figure deliberately squeezed between them to get to the table. The two seemed apoplectic until the unwanted intruder turned around.

"Gah, thought I'd never get out of that script reading..." the lanky fellow complained, brushing their wild red hair back and popping the appetizer into their mouth. "Mmm, that's good. Had to skip breakfast to make it in time."

The three of them stared at one another for a moment before the two arguing nomads suddenly started to bounce excitedly on their heels.

"Oh m-my gosh!" the greco-roman girl squealed.

"You're...you're...THEM!" the bat boy revealed excitedly.

Showing off a sharp-toothed grin, Skyler Belsky lowered their sunglasses, ran one finger across the edge, and snapped the same hand, producing an electrical spark. "Radiant Lancer, ready to roll."

The two fighters delighted jumping and squeeing at seeing Skyler perform their character's signature catchphrase drew quite a few eyes, and Skyler, having just done their good deed for the day, indulged a bit in the limelight. Admittedly the nomads were far less interested in them then their usual audience, but Skyler still managed to get a couple dozen selfies and signatures out, and was in fact in the process of signing one competitors head when their phone started chirping. Finishing off their fan session by vaulting over a table to get to the lounge area, snagging another carimañola on the way, Skyler flipped the phone out of their pocket with one equally dexterous move.

"Skyler here, what's shaking out?"

"My patience, Belsky."

"Sarki!" Skyler's eyes lit up as they righted themselves. "How's the great horned one doing today? Did we hear back from Feige yet?"

"Forget Feige, what the hell are you doing in Brazil?"

"Eating." Skyler took a bite from the carimañola. "How bout you?"

"You know what I mean! That damned tournament!" the she-demon yelled through the phone so violently it made Skyler wince. "SHINING is going to pitch a fit about this. You know they're debuting a new Justice Rider right?"

"Relax, I totally cleared it already. Besides, it's just what the new girl needs, a nice big popularity boost by going up against the favorite, right? It's not like I'm gonna curb stomp her right out the gate."

"Ugh...just don't do anything rash out there, okay? SHINING is going to have both our asses over a spit if you muck this up for them."

"Don't worry, it's just going to be a little publicity tour, then we can get back to arranging that movie deal. Besides, it's all just for show."

"I'll hold you to that."

"That's why you're my agent," Skyler recounted with a grin as they hung up. Nice girl. Honestly Skyler had no idea why she tolerated them so much, but whatevs. There was a tournament to fight, and on top of that one hell of a prize to win. Funny, Skyler didn't really consider that prize until now, but if everything they heard about it was true...well, it'd be one hell of a twist for ol' Radiant Lancer if they got their hands on that! Would make a hell of a movie deal to be sure, Skyler considered as they roamed around waiting to be noticed again.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

Skyler Belsky

Skyler Belsky

"Ladies and germs, the star has arrived!"

"Oh, you want an autograph? Who am I to say no to a fan?" _____________________________________________________ NAME: Skyler Belsky _______________________________________________ EPITHET: Radiant Lancer, the Monkey Prince _______________________________________________ AGE: 27 _______________________________________________ PRONOUNS: They/Them _______________________________________________ HEIGHT: 5 ft 4 in _______________________________________________ WEIGHT: 140 lbs _______________________________________________ NATIONALITY: Chinese/Russian _______________________________________________ LIKES: Noodles, pizza, kung fu movies, stuntwork, traveling, Justice Riders, trouble, his adoring public _______________________________________________ DISLIKES: Bananas, studio heads, paperwork, people who bitch about pronouns, zombies

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OVERVIEW

"Yeah. You love me."
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APPEARANCE

"Here ya go, to my very best fan. You'll want that photo framed of course!"
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Roguishly handsome and effortlessly stylish, Skyler is eye-catching whenever they walk into a room, and that's just the way they like it. While admittedly on the short side, they're still quite athletic and fit, with perfectly messy short red hair, nicely framing their pretty face and complimenting their tanned skin tone. While they have an eclectic wardrobe, Skyler usually sticks to a comfy if expensive jacket to dramatically throw aside before a big fight scene.

As any dedicated fansite will tell you of course, Skyler also has mild shapeshifting abilities to change their appearance, most notably into a simian form where the red hair becomes fur and Skyler resembles an anthropomorphic monkey as part of his most famous acting role to date, that of the Justice Rider's roguish anti-hero ally RADIANT LANCER!

PERSONALITY TRAITS

"Yeah, I'm pretty amazing. No need to rub it in."
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Skyler is famous largely for two traits, their freewheeling chaotic energy getting them into trouble, and their charming smile getting them right back out of it again. Effortlessly charming, able to roll with punches better then anyone, and an undisputed master of working the crowd, Skyler adores being the center of attention, playing to their adoring fans and needling their enemies with witty one liners and barbs. While prone to vanity and having an overinflated ego from time to time, beneath the veneer of showman and celebrity, Skyler still has a strong moral code and will do the right thing when it's required of them, even if they never comes across as serious about it.

BACKSTORY

"Of course it's going to be a great story. I'm in it!"
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Born to to a Russian epidemiologist and a Chinese stuntman, Skyler was quite literally a nomad as they were raised on the road alongside their globetrotting parents, studying martial arts at a young age and eventually following their father into the stunt business, where they got their first break as an actor a few years in when they were cast as a loveable side character in the TV Show AC Emergency. The role made a big enough splash that they were contacted by SHINING when the show was over, and Skyler soon debuted on Justice Riders as the loveable rogue and on-again-off-again ally of the Riders, RADIANT LANCER, though in some countries they are named the Monkey Prince, given the character's strong resemblance to the mythical figure Sun Wukong. But of course you can read all about that on Skyler's IMDb page.

What you can't find on there is just how serendipitous it is that Skyler played that character.

Skyler has always been a little coy about exactly where they learned their martial arts skills, but their jokes about "learning from an ancient mystic deep in a Chinese mountain" are not entirely wrong. During one of their parents trips to Shenzen, when they were barely even ten years old, Skyler wandered away from the safety of their hotel into the seedier part of town when they were saved from a street gang by a plucky and charming stranger. Admiring their bravery and attempts to use trickery to beat the gang before he showed up, the stranger offered to train Skyler in his own unique style of combat and as Skyler continued to travel around the world with their parents, the stranger always seemed to bump into him to give him further lessons, often masquerading as pranks or menial tasks.

By the time Skyler started to get into acting, their training was complete and their master proudly gave them a medallion to signify their mastery of his technique, telling Skyler "guess you're royalty now, eh?" The young Skyler didn't think anything of it until their parents found the medallion lying out, and their father commented it looked similar to a prized possession of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Skyler hasn't seen their master since that day, though they still sometimes think they hear his howling, monkey-like laughter on the wind.

If it really was the Handsome Monkey King that trained Skyler, he'd certainly be proud of how far his student has come, being one of the most famous members of SHINING and, as a result, cleared to head to the tournament in Brazil to compete and prove that their talents go well beyond the silver screen!

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILIES

"No CGI, no stunt doubles, no wirework. I'm the real deal."
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SKILLS & ABILITIES

"Come on, I'm barely breaking a sweat here!"
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Skyler is a relatively well-rounded fighter, specializing in agile brawling with a mix of Muay Thai and Monkey Kung Fu (of course) adding in ki abilities focusing on movement, misdirection, and electrical-based attacks, a personal favorite they incorporated into their character in Justice Riders. An expert improvisor who's not above fighting a little dirty from time to time, Skyler is great at playing to an opponent's weakness and coming up with a battle plan on the fly to take down opponents, all while looking damn good doing it. Their cockiness and bravado is definitely something an enemy can exploit though, and while Skyler's good at spinning such setbacks, it doesn't make that final blow sting any less.

SIGNATURE MOVES

"Keep the camera rolling, you're gonna love this!"
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■ [In A Flash]

[Skyler appears to freeze in place, only to vanish and reappear a short distance away after a few seconds, or if they are attacked. Quick and easy to perform, but cannot pass through solid objects, and Skyler can't follow up with an attack if their hands aren't free for the trip.]

■ [Spark of Creativity]

[Skyler throws an electrical charge that acts as a concussive projectile, throwing it directly in an arc or bouncing it along the ground. Can also be charged for a more powerful but slower projectile.]

■ [Power Charge]

[Skyler charges themselves up with energy and launches an electric-powered rush attack, usually a flying kick or a power slide.]

■ [Back Off The Goods]

[A defensive ability where Skyler holds onto an electrical shock that damages and stuns enemies that touch them. They cannot move or attack when holding the ability.]

■ [Amp Up]

[Skyler launches an electrical blast that travels along the ground and pops up enemies that it hits. More powerful when fired into conductive surfaces.]

■ [Monkey Business]

[A grappling move where Skyler bear-hugs an opponent and somersaults them into the air before slamming them down on the ground and landing gracefully nearby. Can be done out of a Relocate.]

■ [Pose for the Fans]

[Alternate version of the grapple move where instead of somersaulting, Skyler poses with their opponent for the cameras before throwing them away. Less damaging but the inexplicably camera flashes can be disorienting.]

■ [Be Sure To Get My Good Side]

[Skyler does something flashy for the audience. Does no damage but you'll get cancelled on twitter if you hit them.]

SUPER MOVES

"Oh damn, you forgot about the third act twist, didn't you?"
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■ [Shock Cyclone]

[Skyler charges up ki energy and opens by popping their opponent in the air if they aren't already airborne, before spinning them around and drop kicking them back to earth, launching a barrage of powerful sparks before landing with an electrical charged stomp and a triumphant pose.]

■ [Break the Internet]

[Skyler dashes forward with a barrage of electrical powered punches, then charges up a massive spark and plants it on his opponent's chest, quickly dashing away and pulling out their cell phone to take a quick selfie with the massive detonation.]

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

"Not the face!"
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Skyler may be adaptable and unpredictable as a fighter, but they tend to focus more on showboating and looking good in front of an audience then knuckling down and actually winning the fight. Their incessant taunting and showmanship could leave them vulnerable to an attack, and sometimes Skyler will even forgo an easy win if it makes for a more exciting or fantastic looking bout. Nonconductive materials also tend to make their electrical powered ki attacks less effective.

OTHER

"Whoa, this post doing numbers..."
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Skyler has a seemingly infinite amount of fancy jackets and $500 sunglasses to toss aside in fights.

Nomadic Odyssey: Find Your Heart

Skyler Belsky

Skyler Belsky

"Ladies and germs, the star has arrived!"

"Oh, you want an autograph? Who am I to say no to a fan?" _____________________________________________________ NAME: Skyler Belsky _______________________________________________ EPITHET: Radiant Lancer, the Monkey Prince _______________________________________________ AGE: 27 _______________________________________________ PRONOUNS: They/Them _______________________________________________ HEIGHT: 5 ft 4 in _______________________________________________ WEIGHT: 140 lbs _______________________________________________ NATIONALITY: Chinese/Russian _______________________________________________ LIKES: Noodles, pizza, kung fu movies, stuntwork, traveling, Justice Riders, trouble, his adoring public _______________________________________________ DISLIKES: Bananas, studio heads, paperwork, people who bitch about pronouns, zombies

^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}

OVERVIEW

"Yeah. You love me."
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APPEARANCE

"Here ya go, to my very best fan. You'll want that photo framed of course!"
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}

Roguishly handsome and effortlessly stylish, Skyler is eye-catching whenever they walk into a room, and that's just the way they like it. While admittedly on the short side, they're still quite athletic and fit, with perfectly messy short red hair, nicely framing their pretty face and complimenting their tanned skin tone. While they have an eclectic wardrobe, Skyler usually sticks to a comfy if expensive jacket to dramatically throw aside before a big fight scene.

As any dedicated fansite will tell you of course, Skyler also has mild shapeshifting abilities to change their appearance, most notably into a simian form where the red hair becomes fur and Skyler resembles an anthropomorphic monkey as part of his most famous acting role to date, that of the Justice Rider's roguish anti-hero ally RADIANT LANCER!

PERSONALITY TRAITS

"Yeah, I'm pretty amazing. No need to rub it in."
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Skyler is famous largely for two traits, their freewheeling chaotic energy getting them into trouble, and their charming smile getting them right back out of it again. Effortlessly charming, able to roll with punches better then anyone, and an undisputed master of working the crowd, Skyler adores being the center of attention, playing to their adoring fans and needling their enemies with witty one liners and barbs. While prone to vanity and having an overinflated ego from time to time, beneath the veneer of showman and celebrity, Skyler still has a strong moral code and will do the right thing when it's required of them, even if they never comes across as serious about it.

BACKSTORY

"Of course it's going to be a great story. I'm in it!"
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}

Born to to a Russian epidemiologist and a Chinese stuntman, Skyler was quite literally a nomad as they were raised on the road alongside their globetrotting parents, studying martial arts at a young age and eventually following their father into the stunt business, where they got their first break as an actor a few years in when they were cast as a loveable side character in the TV Show AC Emergency. The role made a big enough splash that they were contacted by SHINING when the show was over, and Skyler soon debuted on Justice Riders as the loveable rogue and on-again-off-again ally of the Riders, RADIANT LANCER, though in some countries they are named the Monkey Prince, given the character's strong resemblance to the mythical figure Sun Wukong. But of course you can read all about that on Skyler's IMDb page.

What you can't find on there is just how serendipitous it is that Skyler played that character.

Skyler has always been a little coy about exactly where they learned their martial arts skills, but their jokes about "learning from an ancient mystic deep in a Chinese mountain" are not entirely wrong. During one of their parents trips to Shenzen, when they were barely even ten years old, Skyler wandered away from the safety of their hotel into the seedier part of town when they were saved from a street gang by a plucky and charming stranger. Admiring their bravery and attempts to use trickery to beat the gang before he showed up, the stranger offered to train Skyler in his own unique style of combat and as Skyler continued to travel around the world with their parents, the stranger always seemed to bump into him to give him further lessons, often masquerading as pranks or menial tasks.

By the time Skyler started to get into acting, their training was complete and their master proudly gave them a medallion to signify their mastery of his technique, telling Skyler "guess you're royalty now, eh?" The young Skyler didn't think anything of it until their parents found the medallion lying out, and their father commented it looked similar to a prized possession of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. Skyler hasn't seen their master since that day, though they still sometimes think they hear his howling, monkey-like laughter on the wind.

If it really was the Handsome Monkey King that trained Skyler, he'd certainly be proud of how far his student has come, being one of the most famous members of SHINING and, as a result, cleared to head to the tournament in Brazil to compete and prove that their talents go well beyond the silver screen!

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILIES

"No CGI, no stunt doubles, no wirework. I'm the real deal."
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SKILLS & ABILITIES

"Come on, I'm barely breaking a sweat here!"
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Skyler is a relatively well-rounded fighter, specializing in agile brawling with a mix of Muay Thai and Monkey Kung Fu (of course) adding in ki abilities focusing on movement, misdirection, and electrical-based attacks, a personal favorite they incorporated into their character in Justice Riders. An expert improvisor who's not above fighting a little dirty from time to time, Skyler is great at playing to an opponent's weakness and coming up with a battle plan on the fly to take down opponents, all while looking damn good doing it. Their cockiness and bravado is definitely something an enemy can exploit though, and while Skyler's good at spinning such setbacks, it doesn't make that final blow sting any less.

SIGNATURE MOVES

"Keep the camera rolling, you're gonna love this!"
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■ [In A Flash]

[Skyler appears to freeze in place, only to vanish and reappear a short distance away after a few seconds, or if they are attacked. Quick and easy to perform, but cannot pass through solid objects, and Skyler can't follow up with an attack if their hands aren't free for the trip.]

■ [Spark of Creativity]

[Skyler throws an electrical charge that acts as a concussive projectile, throwing it directly in an arc or bouncing it along the ground. Can also be charged for a more powerful but slower projectile.]

■ [Power Charge]

[Skyler charges themselves up with energy and launches an electric-powered rush attack, usually a flying kick or a power slide.]

■ [Back Off The Goods]

[A defensive ability where Skyler holds onto an electrical shock that damages and stuns enemies that touch them. They cannot move or attack when holding the ability.]

■ [Amp Up]

[Skyler launches an electrical blast that travels along the ground and pops up enemies that it hits. More powerful when fired into conductive surfaces.]

■ [Monkey Business]

[A grappling move where Skyler bear-hugs an opponent and somersaults them into the air before slamming them down on the ground and landing gracefully nearby. Can be done out of a Relocate.]

■ [Pose for the Fans]

[Alternate version of the grapple move where instead of somersaulting, Skyler poses with their opponent for the cameras before throwing them away. Less damaging but the inexplicably camera flashes can be disorienting.]

■ [Be Sure To Get My Good Side]

[Skyler does something flashy for the audience. Does no damage but you'll get cancelled on twitter if you hit them.]

SUPER MOVES

"Oh damn, you forgot about the third act twist, didn't you?"
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■ [Shock Cyclone]

[Skyler charges up ki energy and opens by popping their opponent in the air if they aren't already airborne, before spinning them around and drop kicking them back to earth, launching a barrage of powerful sparks before landing with an electrical charged stomp and a triumphant pose.]

■ [Break the Internet]

[Skyler dashes forward with a barrage of electrical powered punches, then charges up a massive spark and plants it on his opponent's chest, quickly dashing away and pulling out their cell phone to take a quick selfie with the massive detonation.]

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

"Not the face!"
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Skyler may be adaptable and unpredictable as a fighter, but they tend to focus more on showboating and looking good in front of an audience then knuckling down and actually winning the fight. Their incessant taunting and showmanship could leave them vulnerable to an attack, and sometimes Skyler will even forgo an easy win if it makes for a more exciting or fantastic looking bout. Nonconductive materials also tend to make their electrical powered ki attacks less effective.

OTHER

"Whoa, this post doing numbers..."
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Skyler has a seemingly infinite amount of fancy jackets and $500 sunglasses to toss aside in fights.